Department for Transport

Railways: North of England

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the progress on the delivery of the Transpennine Rail upgrade.

Andrew Stephenson: The programme is rapidly progressing into its detailed design phase with early construction enabling activities happening in parallel. Peak construction is expected around 2023/2024 with final completion in the late 2020s.

Railways: North of England

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when the Transpennine Rail upgrade project will commence.

Andrew Stephenson: Upgrades have already been delivered at Micklefield, we are upgrading the Calder Valley route to provide an essential alternative route during the works, and Network Rail is currently consulting on upgrades between Huddersfield and Ravensthorpe to ensure our focus is on better journeys for passengers.

Railways: North of England

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what route the upgraded Transpennine Rail will take.

Andrew Stephenson: TRU will bring significant improvements to the existing East-West rail link across the North, from York to Manchester via Leeds and Huddersfield.

Railways: North of England

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of budget required for the Transpennine rail upgrade.

Andrew Stephenson: The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) is a multi-billion pound programme and the Government's biggest single investment in upgrading the country's railway in the next five years. TRU has developed an Outline Business Case that has been going through approval processes this month. Further announcements on the budget will be made as soon as that process completes.

Railways: North of England

Jason McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the benefits of the Transpennine Rail Upgrade to passengers and commuters.

Andrew Stephenson: The Transpennine Route Upgrade (TRU) is a vital step towards transforming rail connectivity across the north, delivering more seats, faster journeys, a more reliable service for commuters and visible improvements to several stations along the route.

Bus Services: Rural Areas

Kevin Hollinrake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to increase the number of zero emission buses in rural areas.

Rachel Maclean: In February, the Government announced a £5 billion funding package for buses and cycling, which includes support for the purchase of at least 4,000 zero-emission buses. The details of these programmes will be announced in due course.

Railways: Disability

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps he is taking to improve accessibility for disabled people using the rail network.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Access for All Programme has been extended across CP6 with an additional £350m of funding, making a total of £383m available to the programme up until 2024. This will deliver more than 100 accessible step free routes and smaller scale access improvements at another 124 stations. This is in addition to access improvements delivered by major projects such as Crossrail and HS2 or when the industry installs, replaces or renews station infrastructure.

Railways: Rural Areas

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what support his Department plans to make available to local rail providers to improve infrastructure and rail connections  (a) through the re-instatement of the direct Lowestoft to London Liverpool Street line and (b) from other rural areas to major cities.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Government is committed to unlocking the potential of rail to connect rural communities such as Lowestoft to the capital and to other regional towns and cities. We have committed £48bn to operate, maintain, renew and enhance the England and Wales network between 2019 and 2024 and work is already underway to develop proposals for infrastructure improvements along the Great Eastern Main Line.

Railways: Franchises

Ms Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether each train operator with a franchise agreement with his Department has been asked to provide options for revenue maximisation such as reference to fares and revenue yield choices over time.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Emergency Measures Agreements (EMAs) require operators to act in in a commercial manner in relation to the management of revenues and costs. This includes implementing initiatives to protect and grow revenue.

Railways: Franchises

Ms Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether each train company with a franchise agreement has been asked to identify opportunities it is pursuing for further efficiencies in relation to operating costs in the (a) short and (b) medium term.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Emergency Measures Agreements (EMAs) require operators to act in in a commercial manner in relation to the management of revenues and costs. The Department has required operators to identify and implement cost reductions for the EMA term. The EMAs have also introduced a formal process of periodic budget reviews to enable additional financial scrutiny of operators.

Railways: Franchises

Ms Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether each train company with a franchise agreement has been asked by his Department to provide evidence of its potential to raise additional (a) non-fare revenue and (b) commercial income.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Emergency Measures Agreements (EMAs) require operators to act in in a commercial manner in relation to the management of revenues and costs. This includes implementing initiatives to protect and grow both passenger and non-passenger revenue.

Railways: Coronavirus

Ms Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate he has made of the additional funding provided by Government in (a) March, (b) April and (c) May 2020 to (i) Thamselink, (ii) c2c, (iii) Southern, (iv) Chiltern, (v) South Western, (vi) Greater Anglia, (vii) Southeastern, (viii) Gatwick express and (ix) London northwestern.

Chris Heaton-Harris: This information has not yet been finalised.

Railways: Franchises

Ms Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he (a) has appointed, or (b) intends to appoint an external advisor to the board of each train operator with a franchise agreement with his Department.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The Secretary of State has not appointed an external advisor to train operator boards and has no immediate plans to do so.

Department for Transport: Renewable Energy

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many (a) solar panels and (b) wind turbines his Department's buildings (a) have in 2020 and (b) had in each of the last five years.

Chris Heaton-Harris: The information requested is as follows: YearSolar PanelsWind turbines202064932019649320184913201747632016164320151643

High Speed 2 Railway Line: Tree Planting

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2020 to Question 52100, on High Speed 2 Railway Line: Tree Planting, who fulfils the role of Early Works Contractors on HS2; when those contractors were appointed; what the procurement route used in those appointments was; and how many (a) defective and (b) failed plant materials those contractors have replaced.

Andrew Stephenson: The Enabling Works Contracts (EWC) for Phase One were awarded to joint venture (JV) organisations in November 2016, covering three geographic Areas (North, Central and South). The enabling works contractors are Laing O’Rourke and Murphy Group (LM-JV) for Area North; Morgan Sindall, BAM Nuttall and Ferrovial Agroman (Fusion JV) for Area Central; and Costain and Skanska (CS-JV) for Area South. The Procurement route used for the EWC Contracts was the OJEU negotiated procedure. The announcement regarding the awarding of contracts can be found at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/hs2-names-enabling-works-contractors No plants have been rejected by the Independent Inspector as being defective. Out of a total of 553,233 trees planted between 2017 and 2020, 122,208 have been replacement trees, leaving a net total 431,025 trees successfully planted. The loss of HS2 plants during hot weather, particularly in 2018, has been consistent with planting carried out by others at the same time, including the Forestry Commission which increased its rates under their grant schemes to allow replacement of the additional losses. The cost of maintaining sufficient water supplies for saplings would have been higher than replanting, and using the quantities of water required to maintain the planting would not have been an appropriate or responsible use of resources at the height of summer. Replacing plants lost is considered a much more cost effective solution, as well as being a more ethical use of resources during unprecedented conditions.

Electric Scooters

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department plans to bring forward legislative proposals to enable the use of e-scooters on roads.

Rachel Maclean: The Department is preparing regulations that will enable trials of rental e-scooters to begin. Trials will gather evidence of the safety of e-scooters and the impacts they have on the road. This will inform any future legislation for e-scooters and other micromobility vehicles. The Department recently consulted on proposed rules for e-scooter use that will be contained in the regulations and is working with local authorities to allow trials to begin soon.

Electric Scooters

Yvonne Fovargue: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether his Department has plans to extend the remit of the rental e-scooter trial scheme to include the use of privately purchased e-scooters.

Rachel Maclean: E-scooter trials will include only rental scooters. This allows trials to take place in a controlled manner while we assess their safety and other impacts. There are a wide range of e-scooters available, built to differing standards. Limiting trials to rental scooters ensures that only approved scooters are used, and that they can meet legal requirements. It will also improve the quality of the evidence we gather, that will inform whether e-scooters should be fully legalised.

Cycling: Staffordshire

Jonathan Gullis: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what funding his Department has allocated to (a) Stoke-on-Trent City Council and (b) Staffordshire County Council to increase the availability of road space for cycling.

Chris Heaton-Harris: On the 29th May, indicative allocations to local authorities from the Emergency Active Travel Fund were published on gov.uk. The indicative allocation for Stoke-on-Trent City Council was £842,000 and for Staffordshire County Council £1,832,000. The Department will confirm allocations from tranche 1 of the Emergency Active Travel Fund as soon as possible, and will invite bids from authorities for tranche 2 of the fund shortly. Before receiving any funding, authorities must submit satisfactory plans to the Department, and the amount each authority receives will depend on it satisfying the Department that it has ambitious plans in place to reallocate road space to cyclists and pedestrians.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Tidal Power: Swansea Bay

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to his Answer of 9 June 2020 to Question 51817 on Tidal Power: Swansea Bay, what range of hurdle rates, comparable to those more established renewable energy technologies, such as solar PV, onshore wind and large hydropower, were used for the Swansea Bay tidal lagoon value for money assessment.

Kwasi Kwarteng: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 23 June 2020.The correct answer should have been:

The hurdle rates applied across the portfolio of tidal lagoons in the Department’s value for money assessment[1] are shown in Table 1. The hurdle rates for other low carbon technologies estimated at the time of the value for money assessment are shown in Table 2. Table 1: Range of hurdle rates applied to proposed programme of tidal lagoons[2]Hurdle Rate ScenarioHurdle rate (real terms, pre-tax)Low6.2%Central8.0%High9.2%9.0% Table 2: Selected hurdle rates for other low carbon technologies (up to date at time the assessment was undertaken)[3]TechnologyHurdle rate (real terms, pre-tax)Onshore wind6.7%Offshore wind8.9%Solar PV (>5MW)6.5%Nuclear8.9%Gas with CCUS (first of a kind)11.3%Hydro (>5MW)6.9%   [1] Available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/swansea-bay-tidal-lagoon-value-for-money-assessment[2] Source: BEIS commercial advisory[3] Source: BEIS Electricity Generation Costs Report (2016), available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/beis-electricity-generation-costs-november-2016

Kwasi Kwarteng: The hurdle rates applied across the portfolio of tidal lagoons in the Department’s value for money assessment[1] are shown in Table 1. The hurdle rates for other low carbon technologies estimated at the time of the value for money assessment are shown in Table 2. Table 1: Range of hurdle rates applied to proposed programme of tidal lagoons[2]Hurdle Rate ScenarioHurdle rate (real terms, pre-tax)Low6.2%Central8.0%High9.2%9.0% Table 2: Selected hurdle rates for other low carbon technologies (up to date at time the assessment was undertaken)[3]TechnologyHurdle rate (real terms, pre-tax)Onshore wind6.7%Offshore wind8.9%Solar PV (>5MW)6.5%Nuclear8.9%Gas with CCUS (first of a kind)11.3%Hydro (>5MW)6.9%   [1] Available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/swansea-bay-tidal-lagoon-value-for-money-assessment[2] Source: BEIS commercial advisory[3] Source: BEIS Electricity Generation Costs Report (2016), available at: www.gov.uk/government/publications/beis-electricity-generation-costs-november-2016

Rolls-Royce: Coronavirus

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions the Government had with representatives of Rolls Royce on job retention in the last three months; and whether any future meetings are scheduled.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Government holds many meetings with companies, including Rolls-Royce, to discuss a wide range of business issues. Details of meetings held by Ministers in the Department are recorded in our transparency data, which is published at:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/beis-ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings

Multinational Companies: Coronavirus

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to help prevent multinational corporations creating private monopolies during the covid-19 outbreak.

Paul Scully: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is responsible for investigating competition issues in the UK. The Government has ensured that the CMA has significant powers to investigate and act if it finds that companies are behaving anti-competitively in a market. The CMA has created a dedicated taskforce to monitor and respond to competition and consumer problems arising from the pandemic. It has also published guidance on its approach to essential business cooperation and merger assessments during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the Government laid secondary legislation on 22 June to amend the Enterprise Act 2002 to strengthen the Government’s powers to intervene in certain mergers and takeovers. The Government can now intervene on public interest grounds in order to maintain UK capability to combat or mitigate the effects of public health emergencies. Further, subject to Parliament’s approval of a draft statutory instrument, the Government will be shortly be able to intervene in smaller mergers in three of the most national security sensitive sectors: artificial intelligence, cryptographic authentication and advanced materials.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Saudi Arabia: Prisoners

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make urgent representations to the Government of Saudi Arabia requesting the release of (a) female activists and (b) political prisoners.

James Cleverly: We remain concerned about the continued detention of women's rights activists in Saudi Arabia. The Foreign Secretary raised our concerns about the ongoing detention of political detainees, including women's rights defenders with Saudi Ministers during his visit this year to Riyadh on 4 and 5 March. We regularly raise areas of concern with the Saudi authorities at all levels, through Ministers, our Ambassador and the Embassy in Riyadh. We consistently underline the importance of political freedoms globally. This includes respect for the right to peaceful protest, the rule of law, and freedom of speech, the press, and assembly. We continue to raise concerns about individual cases regularly and monitor the situation closely.

Integrated Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy Review: Human Rights

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether he plans to include the UK’s relationship with (a) Saudi Arabia and (b) other countries with similar human rights records in his integrated review of foreign policy.

James Cleverly: The UK's relationship with Saudi Arabia is one of great importance, covering a broad range of UK national security and economic interests. Our most recent assessment of Saudi Arabia's human rights record was published in our latest Human Rights and Democracy Report. This was published in June 2019. Saudi Arabia remains a Foreign and Commonwealth Office human rights priority country, particularly because of death penalty use, restrictions on women's rights, freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and freedom of religion or belief. The Foreign Secretary raised our human rights concerns with Saudi Arabia during his visit in March. We regularly raise areas of concern with the Saudi authorities at all levels, through Ministers, our Ambassador and the Embassy in Riyadh.

Cyprus: Politics and Government

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to include Turkish Cypriot representatives in discussions on the future of (a) the UK's involvement in Cyprus and (b) Cyprus.

Wendy Morton: We regularly engage with the Turkish Cypriots through our High Commission in Nicosia. We use the opportunity of these contacts to urge progress towards a settlement. Ultimately, it is for the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots to agree on the details of any final Settlement deal. This will require the agreement of the two leaders, the support of Greece and Turkey and - importantly - successful referenda in each community. The UK has always made clear that we are open to whatever arrangements the two sides and other Guarantor Powers can agree to meet the security needs of the two Cypriot communities.

Palestinians: Politics and Government

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to (a) support and (b) promote the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

James Cleverly: We are committed to the objective of an independent, sovereign and prosperous Palestinian state, living side by side with a safe and secure Israel. That is why we put such emphasis on strengthening Palestinian institutions and fostering sustainable economic growth. Economic progress can never be a substitute for a political settlement, but it is vital in the interim that Palestinians see tangible improvements in their daily lives. The UK will recognise a Palestinian state at a time when it best serves the objective of peace. Bilateral recognition in itself cannot end the occupation. Without a negotiated settlement the occupation and the problems that come with it will continue. We consistently call for an immediate end to all actions that undermine the viability of the two-state solution and are encouraging both sides to maintain calm and avoid taking actions which make peace more difficult to achieve.

Palestinians: Christianity

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to help protect Palestinian Christians from aggression.

James Cleverly: Every Palestinian and Israeli has the right to live in peace and security. Our Embassy in Tel Aviv and Consulate-General in Jerusalem raise issues of religious freedom with the Israeli and Palestinian Governments. I also met with representatives of the Holy Land Coordination Group, Bishop Declan Lang and Bishop Christopher Chessun, on 22 June to discuss the situation in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and their work with the Christian community there.

Jerusalem: Christianity

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to help ensure that Israel enables Christians from all nations to (a) visit and (b) have access to Holy sites in Jerusalem.

James Cleverly: The holy sites of Jerusalem hold particular significance for many groups around the globe, especially the three Abrahamic faiths of Christianity, Islam and Judaism. The UK is committed to working with all parties to maintain calm, avoid provocation and uphold the Status Quo in order to ensure the safety and security of the holy sites and all who worship and visit there, including Christians from all nations. We continue to urge the Israeli and Palestinian leadership to avoid actions that make it more difficult to achieve a negotiated solution to the conflict.

Israeli Settlements

Patrick Grady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will issue a response to EDM 464, Proposed Israeli annexation of part of the West Bank.

James Cleverly: Holding answer received on 25 June 2020



As we made clear at the UN Security Council remote meeting on the Middle East Peace Process on 24 June, we are concerned by reports that the new Israeli Government coalition has reached an agreement which may pave the way for annexation of parts of the West Bank. The Foreign Secretary reiterated this message in his introductory calls with Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Gantz on 20 May and Israeli Foreign Minister Ashkenazi on 2 June. The UK position is clear: any unilateral moves towards annexation of parts of the West Bank by Israel would be damaging to efforts to restart peace negotiations and contrary to international law. We continue to urge Israel not to take these steps.

Iraq: Turkey

Chris Stephens: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs,  whether the Government has made representations to the Government of Turkey on the aerial attack by Turkish jets on (a) the Maxmur refugee camp in northern Iraq on 14 June 2020 and (b) Shengal, Iraq and (c) other villages in Iraq.

James Cleverly: Holding answer received on 25 June 2020



The UK is closely following the situation in northern Iraq.Our Ambassador in Ankara has spoken to the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including on reports of civilian casualties. We are reiterating the importance of dialogue and cooperation between Iraq and Turkey to combat terrorism, ensure regional security, and protect civilians.

Hussein Abdullah Khalil Rashid and Zuhair Ebrahim Jassim Abdullah Abas

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his counterpart in Government of Bahrain on (a) the fairness of the trials of Zuhair and Husain Abdullah Khalil Rashid’s and (b) the allegations of the use torture of those people that resulted in them being given death sentences.

James Cleverly: We have raised the cases of Zuhair Ibrahim Jasim Abdullah and Hussein Abdullah Khalil Rashid at a senior level with the Government of Bahrain.The Government of Bahrain is fully aware that the UK is firmly opposed to the death penalty, in all circumstances. The right to a fair trial is enshrined in the constitution of Bahrain; we continue to encourage the Government of Bahrain to follow due process in all cases and meet its international and domestic human rights commitments.

Turkey: Press Freedom

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to his Turkish counterpart on the protection of press freedom in Turkey.

Wendy Morton: Holding answer received on 25 June 2020



We regularly raise our human rights concerns with the Turkish authorities at the highest level, including on freedom of expression. We are playing a leading role in the international media freedom campaign the former Foreign Secretary launched last year. We will continue to engage the Turkish Government on these important issues, and to urge respect for freedom and protection of the media. We are clear in our expectation that Turkey, like all countries, should live up to its human rights obligations towards all sections of society.

Northern Ireland Office

Northern Ireland Office: Renewable Energy

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many (a) solar panels and (b) wind turbines have been installed on each of the buildings on his Department's estate in each of the last five years.

Mr Robin Walker: My Department is based in two leased sites, 1 Horse Guards Road, London and Stormont House, Belfast. No solar panels or wind turbines have been installed at either site by the landlords.

Borders: Northern Ireland

Colum Eastwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what steps he plans to take to support border areas in Northern Ireland after the end of the transition period.

Mr Robin Walker: Holding answer received on 25 June 2020



The Protocol provides a practical solution to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland in a way that preserves the Belfast (“Good Friday”) Agreement and continues to protect the interests of people and businesses in Northern Ireland. The Government will continue to support East-West and North-South cooperation to protect communities and individuals, including in border areas. We have already guaranteed that businesses will face no tariffs for movement of goods within the UK, will have unfettered access to the whole UK market for NI goods, and will benefit from the lower tariffs we deliver through our new Free Trade Agreements with third countries. In addition, the Government remains committed to a New Deal for Northern Ireland to help boost economic growth, competitiveness and to support infrastructure and connectivity North-South and East-West. We have also committed to participation in the Peace Plus programme. The programme will support activities to promote peace and reconciliation and contribute to the cross-border economic and territorial development of the region.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Wirral

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions his Department has had with Wirral Council on the implementation of the test and trace system for covid-19.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care has appointed Minister Nadine Dorries to lead on engagement with local authorities, alongside Tom Riordan, Chief Executive of Leeds Council.We have met with local authorities multiple times. Tom Riordan has held three calls with all local authority leaders, Chief Executives and Directors of Public Health, to which those from Wirral were invited to take part and ask questions. We also attend a Local Outbreak Planning National Advisory Board, chaired by the Chairman of the Local Government Association.This is in addition to two calls with Local Resilience Forum (LRF) chairs, including representatives from Merseyside Resilience forum, the LRF that covers the Wirral.We are looking to continue engaging regularly with all councils, including the Wirral.

Non-departmental Public Bodies: Human Rights

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to make an assessment of the merits of requiring (a) NHS England and (b) other non-departmental public bodies to publish discrete human rights policies.

Edward Argar: Holding answer received on 16 June 2020



Public authorities, including non-departmental public bodies, are subject to the Human Rights Act 1998 and are required to comply with the Act when carrying out public functions, such as in their policies.The Department has no current plans to require its non-departmental public bodies to publish separate human rights policies. Those bodies must already consider relevant legislation as part of their functions.

Pregnancy: Ethnic Groups

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the timeframe is for his Department's receipt of the findings of the Government-funded research by the National Institute of Health Research's Policy Research Unit in Maternal and Neonatal Health and Care at the University of Oxford into the factors associated with the excess risk of maternal death for Black and South Asian women.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The National Institute for Health Research's Policy Research Unit in Maternal and Neonatal Health and Care is undertaking the project – ‘Why are Black and ethnic minority mothers more likely to die either during pregnancy, or within the first year of giving birth, compared to white mothers born in the UK?’The Department is due to receive initial findings from this study in autumn 2020.

Health Services: Immigrants

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when a timetable for removing the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS and care workers will be published; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Argar: Holding answer received on 22 June 2020



Department of Health and Social Care and Home Office officials are working at pace to implement the announcement for removing health and care workers from the Immigration Health Surcharge and further information will be available shortly.

Care Quality Commission: Staff

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many inspectors have been employed by the Care Quality Commission in each of the last three years.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) employs inspectors so that it can fulfill its tasks and duties. The following table contains the number of CQC inspectors employed per year, for the past three years:Year 12017/182018/192019/20Number employed 21,3781,3771,295Notes:1 Data correct at 31 March of each period.2 FTE rounded to nearest whole number.

Care Quality Commission: Hotels

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what hotel accommodation costs have been incurred by the Care Quality Commission in each of the last three years.

Ms Nadine Dorries: The Care Quality Commission (CQC) requires inspection teams to visit hospital trusts and care homes for sustained periods. This allows the CQC to carry out its investigative functions and provide a thorough assessment of provider performance. The following table provides the costs incurred by the CQC on hotels and accommodation for the relevant years. Costs relating to the accounting period for 2019/20 have not been included as the accounts and audit have not yet completed.Expenditure on hotels and accommodation by Financial Year2017/182018/19£2,870,515£3,212,436

Department for Education

Languages: Secondary Education

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of Key Stage Four students are studying a foreign language.

Nick Gibb: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 22 May 2020.The correct answer should have been:

The percentage of pupils[1] at the end of Key Stage 4 entering a modern foreign language[2] in state-funded schools[3] in England is 46.7% for 2018/19. The percentage of pupils between the ages 16 to 18, eligible for reporting in performance tables, who entered a modern foreign language for A level exams in state-funded schools and colleges in England at the end of Key Stage 5 was 7.5% for 2018/19. [1] Includes attempts and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years.[2] For Key Stage 4 entries are those counted as part of the language element in the English Baccalaureate.[3] State-funded schools include academies, free schools, city technology colleges, further education colleges with provision for 14 to 16 year-olds and state-funded special schools. They exclude independent schools, independent special schools, non-maintained special schools, pupil referral units and alternative provision. Alternative provision includes academy and free school alternative provision.

Nick Gibb: The percentage of pupils[1] at the end of Key Stage 4 entering a modern foreign language[2] in state-funded schools[3] in England is 46.7% for 2018/19. The percentage of pupils between the ages 16 to 18, eligible for reporting in performance tables, who entered a modern foreign language for A level exams in state-funded schools and colleges in England at the end of Key Stage 5 was 7.5% for 2018/19. [1] Includes attempts and achievements by these pupils in previous academic years.[2] For Key Stage 4 entries are those counted as part of the language element in the English Baccalaureate.[3] State-funded schools include academies, free schools, city technology colleges, further education colleges with provision for 14 to 16 year-olds and state-funded special schools. They exclude independent schools, independent special schools, non-maintained special schools, pupil referral units and alternative provision. Alternative provision includes academy and free school alternative provision.

Languages: Sixth Form Education

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of Key Stage Five students are studying a foreign language.

Nick Gibb: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 22 May 2020.The correct answer should have been:

The percentage of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 entering a modern foreign language in state-funded schools in England is 46.7% for 2018/19. The percentage of pupils between the ages 16 to 18, eligible for reporting in performance tables, who entered a modern foreign language for A level exams in state-funded schools and colleges[1] in England at the end of Key Stage 5 was 7.56.4%[2] for 2018/19.  [1] Covers all state-funded mainstream schools, academies, free schools, city technology colleges, state-funded special schools and FE sector colleges. Excludes pupil referral units, alternative provision, hospital schools, non-maintained special schools, other government department funded colleges, independent schools, independent special schools and independent schools approved to take pupils with special educational needs.[2] Compared to all students in this group who entered A levels, who were eligible for reporting in performance tables.

Nick Gibb: The percentage of pupils at the end of Key Stage 4 entering a modern foreign language in state-funded schools in England is 46.7% for 2018/19. The percentage of pupils between the ages 16 to 18, eligible for reporting in performance tables, who entered a modern foreign language for A level exams in state-funded schools and colleges[1] in England at the end of Key Stage 5 was 7.56.4%[2] for 2018/19.  [1] Covers all state-funded mainstream schools, academies, free schools, city technology colleges, state-funded special schools and FE sector colleges. Excludes pupil referral units, alternative provision, hospital schools, non-maintained special schools, other government department funded colleges, independent schools, independent special schools and independent schools approved to take pupils with special educational needs.[2] Compared to all students in this group who entered A levels, who were eligible for reporting in performance tables.

Primary Education: Sports

Tracey Crouch: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to extend the Primary PE and Sport Premium beyond 2020-21; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Gibb: The Government will confirm arrangements for the PE and Sport Premium in the 2020-21 academic year as soon as possible. The position for the 2021-22 academic year and beyond will be considered at the forthcoming Spending Review.

Schools: Coronavirus

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 15 June 2020 to Question 52591, and with reference to the recommendation to accelerate the development of culturally competent occupational risk assessment tools on page 10 of the publication of the Public Health England report entitled, Beyond the data: Understanding the impact of COVID-19 on BAME groups, whether his Department plans to implement that recommendation.

Nick Gibb: The Government is committed to reducing the disparity in health outcomes - whether that is from COVID-19 or from other causes – that some BAME communities experience in this country. The recommendations in the Public Health England report cover a wide range of areas, many of which are already touched on by the terms of reference for the work that was announced by my hon. Friend, the Minister for Equalities on 4 June 2020. Those terms of reference can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/next-steps-for-work-on-covid-19-disparities-announced. The Department continues to encourage schools to be especially sensitive to the needs and worries of Black, Asian and minority ethnic pupils, parents and carers, and staff, considering if any additional measures or reasonable adjustments may need to be put in place to mitigate concerns.

Primary Education: Sports

Gareth Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding will be allocated to the Primary PE and Sport Premium in academic year 2020-21.

Nick Gibb: The Government will confirm arrangements for the PE and Sport Premium in the 2020/21 academic year as soon as possible.

Sixth Form Education: Coronavirus

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to support sixth form education during the covid-19 outbreak.

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect of the covid-19 outbreak on sixth form students.

Nick Gibb: We want to get all children and young people back into face-to-face education as soon as the scientific advice allows because it is the best place for them to learn, and because we know how important it is for their mental wellbeing to have social interactions with their peers, carers and teachers.From the week commencing 15 June, we have asked schools with sixth forms and further education colleges, which includes sixth form colleges, to offer some face-to-face support to pupils in year 12 and to 16-19 students in the first year of a two-year study programme, as they are preparing for key examinations next year. Remote education should, however, remain the predominant mode of education for these students at this time.Whilst we are unable to welcome back more sixth form students at this time, we have recently announced that other students under 19 years old can be offered a face-to-face meeting before the end of the summer term, where it would be beneficial. As long as this happens in line with wider protective measures guidance, and guidance on the numbers of pupils permitted on-site at any one time, we would encourage this where possible.Our priority is to ensure that year 13 sixth form students can progress as planned, including starting university, moving into apprenticeships or securing a job, and to support year 12 students to prepare for examinations next year.We have published a planning guide for secondary schools (including those with sixth forms) to help school leaders to prepare and decide arrangements:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/preparing-for-the-wider-opening-of-schools-from-1-june/planning-guide-for-secondary-schools;as well as guidance for further education providers: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-maintaining-further-education-provision/maintaining-education-and-skills-training-provision-further-education-providers.

Schools: Coronavirus

Derek Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Answer of 15 June 2020 to Question 55133 on Schools: Coronavirus, for what reasons his Department is not reimbursing schools that have used their existing resources to fund increased costs resulting from the covid-19 outbreak.

Nick Gibb: We are providing additional funding to schools, on top of existing budgets, to cover certain unavoidable costs incurred due to the COVID-19 outbreak that cannot be met from their existing resources.Schools are eligible to claim for increased premises related costs associated with keeping schools open over the Easter and summer half term holidays; support for free school meals for eligible children who are not in school, where schools are not using the national voucher scheme; and additional cleaning costs required due to confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases, over and above the cost of existing cleaning arrangements.Schools are not eligible to make a claim against this fund if they expect to add to their existing historic surpluses in their current financial year (September 2019 to August 2020 for academies and April 2020 to March 2021 for maintained schools). This means schools cannot claim if they began their current financial year with an accumulated historic surplus and expect to increase that surplus this year and thereby finish the year with a higher level of reserves than they started.Schools are eligible for reimbursement where the additional costs associated with COVID-19 would result in a school having to use historic surpluses; increase the size of a historic deficit; or prevent the planned repayment of a historic deficit.It is reasonable for taxpayers to expect that further public funding through this period is not adding to existing surpluses that are held by schools. Schools will continue to receive their budgets for the coming year, as usual, regardless of any periods of partial closure or reduced operations.

Teachers: Coronavirus

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the covid-19 outbreak on teacher (a) recruitment and (b) retention.

Nick Gibb: The COVID-19 outbreak has highlighted the life-changing role that teachers play in children’s lives and we want to ensure teaching remains an attractive and fulfilling profession. It is pleasing to note that there has been an eighteen per cent increase in applications for those looking to enter the teaching profession since the COVID-19 outbreak, compared to the equivalent period last year.We recognise that the COVID-19 outbreak will continue to have a profound impact on teachers and trainees, and we are continuing to work with the sector to understand how we can best support schools during this time.To support teacher training, the Department has relaxed certain criteria so that courses can be delivered flexibly and innovatively, and we are encouraging all schools to consider how they could play a role in helping to train teachers.As set out in the Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy, we have developed a new induction programme to support newly qualified teachers, based on the Early Career Framework (ECF). Further information can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/786856/DFE_Teacher_Retention_Strategy_Report.pdf and https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/773705/Early-Career_Framework.pdf. This will be launched in the North East, Bradford, Doncaster and Greater Manchester as planned from autumn 2020, ahead of a national rollout the following year. Up to 2,000 new teachers in these areas will benefit from additional training and one-to-one mentor sessions in the first two years after qualifying. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-early-career-teachers/rollout-of-early-career-framework-support-packageIn response to the disruption to teacher training courses this academic year, a one-year funded programme will also be available to up to 3,000 early career teachers working in schools outside of the early rollout areas from this autumn, with a focus on those serving disadvantaged communities. High-quality training materials – developed for the ECF reforms – will also be made freely available to all early career teachers and their mentors from this September. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-career-framework-reforms-overview/early-career-framework-reforms-overview#expansionWe are committed to providing teachers with the support they need during this period, and have worked with an expert advisory group on measures to support teacher wellbeing. On 7 June 2020, we announced a range of public commitments, including a new pilot project in partnership with the Education Support Partnership to provide online peer-support and telephone supervision from experts to around 250 school leaders. This is in addition to funding Timewise to provide practical support and resources on flexible working in light of new arrangements for schools responding to coronavirus. Lessons from these pilots will inform our future intervention in this area.Teacher recruitment and retention will continue to be a core priority for this Government, and we will do all we can to ensure there are great teachers for every child in the country.

Supply Teachers: Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Margaret Greenwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the number of supply teachers that have accessed support through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Nick Gibb: We expect schools to ensure any employees funded by public money continue to be paid in the usual fashion, from their existing staff budgets, and not to furlough staff, in line with the HMRC guidance to public sector organisations. Therefore, supply teachers directly employed by schools should not need the support of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS). The guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme. Where supply teachers are employed via employment agencies, and have had their access to work restricted by COVID-19, their employers, as private businesses, have been able apply to furlough their workers via the CJRS. The Department does not hold the information on the number of employment agencies that have accessed support for their workers via the CJRS. HMRC has released estimates of the number, and value, of claims made to the CJRS. This outlines the number of companies, and employees who have been supported by the CJRS by employment sector, including education. However, the statistical release does not provide data on specific job roles within a sector. The HMRC estimates are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coronavirus-job-retention-scheme-statistics-june-2020.

Mental Health Services: Children and Young People

Alexander Stafford: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of the recommendations contained in the report entitled, Time for a Clean Slate; Children’s Mental Health at the Heart of Education, published by Barnado's in May 2020.

Vicky Ford: The government is committed to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people as a central part of the response to the COVID-19 outbreak. We welcome the reports that Barnardo’s and others have published to help inform how that can be done most effectively.The report calls for reassurance for children and young people and parents about returning to school. We agree the return is a key part of promoting mental health and wellbeing as attendance at school allows social interaction with peers, carers and teachers, which benefits wellbeing. Children in reception, year 1 and year 6 are now able to return to primary, and year 10 and year 12 pupils are able to receive face-to-face support at secondary. Primaries with capacity can bring back additional groups, in line with existing protective measures, and we have given schools the flexibility to have face-to-face ‘check-ups’ with all pupils during the summer term, which will ensure more children and young people are able to achieve this benefit. Our intention is for all children to return to school from September and guidance will be published soon.We are clear that children, young people and parents need to know it is safe to return to school. That is why our advice sets out further information on how this can be achieved safely and effectively, and it is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/what-parents-and-carers-need-to-know-about-early-years-providers-schools-and-colleges-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak.The report also calls for the education system to prioritise child welfare and wellbeing as well as guidance to support schools with staff and pupil mental health and wellbeing. We have put it at the heart of our guidance both for children at home and in the guidance and planning frameworks for children returning to school. We will continue to develop this guidance to reflect the latest situation and scientific advice.Online education resources are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-online-education-resources.The planning framework for return is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-educational-and-childcare-settings-to-prepare-for-wider-opening-from-1-june-2020/opening-schools-for-more-children-and-young-people-initial-planning-framework-for-schools-in-england.We have put in place further support for children and teachers on mental health and wellbeing. This includes training for teachers, such as a new module developed with clinical experts on how to teach about mental health in health education, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/teaching-about-mental-wellbeing.We have also provided grants to the Education Support Partnership and Timewise to support teachers’ mental health and flexible working.As the report suggests, schools need to be able to make additional provision to support pupils to make up for time lost to COVID-19. That is why the government has announced a £1 billion COVID-19 ‘catch-up’ package to directly tackle the impact of lost teaching time. More information is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/billion-pound-covid-catch-up-plan-to-tackle-impact-of-lost-teaching-time.

Schools: Finance

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to reduce disparities in funding levels for pupils in London schools and pupils in schools outside of London.

Nick Gibb: We are giving schools the largest cash boost in a decade, which will give every school more money for every child. Core schools funding will increase by £2.6 billion in 2020-21, £4.8 billion by 2021-22, and £7.1 billion by 2022-23, in comparison to 2019-20. We have continued to distribute this funding through the National Funding Formula, which ensures that funding is based on schools’ and pupils’ needs and characteristics, and not on accidents of geography or history.The National Funding Formula ensures that every school will receive more money for every pupil next year. On average, schools are attracting 4.2% more per pupil in 2020-21 compared to in 2019-20. We are delivering the greatest gains to areas which have been historically underfunded, removing the previous cap on gains so that increases in funding now flow through in full. We are also levelling up the lowest funded schools to ensure they have the right investment to deliver an outstanding education. Every secondary school is receiving at least £5,000 per pupil, and every primary school at least £3,750 next year – putting primary schools on the path to receiving at least £4,000 per pupil from next year.The formula also ensures that every school is receiving an increase to their pupil-led per pupil funding of at least 1.84% next year compared to their previous year’s allocation.

Students: Loneliness

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of social distancing on levels of loneliness among students in primary and secondary schools.

Vicky Ford: The department has been working closely with partners to provide resources and update guidance to support and promote children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing during the COVID-19 outbreak. This includes signposting to resources on supporting and promoting mental wellbeing among the list of resources to help children to learn at home, which are available here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-online-education-resources.During Mental Health Awareness Week, the government announced that a further £4.2 million will be awarded to mental health charities – including the Samaritans, Young Minds, and Bipolar UK. This is in addition to the £5 million Coronavirus Mental Health Response Fund, administered by Mind, for mental health charities to help them adapt, expand and reach those who are most vulnerable.The return to school is a key part of supporting the mental health and wellbeing of pupils, as attendance at school allows social interaction with peers, carers and teachers, which benefits wellbeing. To support this, we have encouraged schools to focus on mental wellbeing as pupils return. Children in Reception, year 1 and year 6 are now able to return to primary, and year 10 and year 12 pupils are able to receive face-to-face support at secondary. Primaries with capacity can bring back additional groups, in line with existing protective measures, and we have given schools the flexibility to have face-to-face ‘check-ups’ with all pupils during the summer term, which will ensure more children and young people are able to achieve this benefit. Our intention is for all children to return to school from September and guidance will be published soon.In addition, children and young people can access free confidential support anytime from government-backed voluntary and community sector organisations either by texting SHOUT to 85258, or by calling Childline on 0800 1111 or The Mix on 0808 808 4994. Children and young people can also find online information on COVID-19 and mental health on the Young Minds website, which is available here: https://youngminds.org.uk/about-us/reports/coronavirus-impact-on-young-people-with-mental-health-needs.Public Health England and Health Education England have also published advice and guidance for parents and professionals on supporting children and young people's mental health and wellbeing, which is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-supporting-children-and-young-peoples-mental-health-and-wellbeing.The department has also published statutory guidance which states that, as part of the new relationships and sex education and health education curriculum, primary and secondary school children should be taught about loneliness. This will include issues like building positive friendships and mental wellbeing. The department is developing a programme of support and resources to help schools teach the new requirements.

Students: Coronavirus

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to provide further support for students who have fallen behind in their studies during the covid-19 outbreak.

Nick Gibb: The Government has announced a package of support worth £1 billion to ensure that schools have the support they need to help all children and young people make up for lost teaching time, with extra support in the form of a tutoring programme for those who need it most. This package of measures includes:A universal catch up premium for schools of £650 million to help all pupils make up for lost teaching time.A new £350 million National Tutoring Programme for disadvantaged pupils. The ‘Covid-19 Recovery Guide for Schools’,[1] published by the Education Endowment Foundation, provides evidence-based approaches that will support schools to make the best use of the premium. The premium will be paid as a grant to all state-funded schools in England over the 2020/21 academic year, in addition to schools’ core budgets for 2020-21. We will confirm the timetable for publishing institution-level allocations in due course. [1] https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/public/files/Publications/Covid-19_Resources/Covid-19_support_guide_for_schools.pdf.

Children: Computers

Andy Carter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many laptops have been allocated to vulnerable children in Warrington during the period of school closures due to the covid-19 outbreak.

Nick Gibb: The Government has committed over £100 million to support vulnerable and disadvantaged children in England to access remote education and social care services, including by providing laptops, tablets and 4G wireless routers. We are providing laptops and tablets to disadvantaged children who would otherwise not have access and are preparing for examinations in year 10, receiving support from a social worker or are a care leaver. Where care leavers, children with a social worker at secondary school and children in year 10 do not have internet connections, we are providing 4G wireless routers. The Department has ordered over 200,000 laptops and tablets and allocated devices to local authorities and academy trusts based on its estimates of the number of eligible children that do not have access to a device. Local authorities and academy trusts are best place to identify and prioritise children and young people who need devices. The Department is working to provide these devices in the shortest possible timeframe; deliveries to schools and local authorities began in May and have continued throughout June. As of 14 June, we have shipped over 100,000 laptops and 20,000 4G routers, including 481 to Warrington for children with a social worker and care leavers and 45 for disadvantaged year 10 pupils. The Department has published information about how many laptops, tablets and 4G wireless routers we have delivered or dispatched to local authorities and academy trusts as of 14 June, which can be viewed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/laptops-tablets-and-4g-wireless-routers-progress-data.

Ministry of Justice

War Memorials: Vandalism

Mr David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans he has to bring forward legislative proposals to increase the penalties for criminal damage of war memorials and other monuments of national significance; and if he will make a statement.

Alex Chalk: Any vandalism or attack on property should be met with the full force of the law. Attacking any memorial is an insult, and this is particularly true of a war memorial commemorating those who have given their lives fighting for our freedom.The Secretary of State has committed to reviewing the laws around criminal damage. We are also looking at penalties for this type of offending and will fully examine any proposed legislation put to us in the usual way.The Secretary of State will be setting out plans later this year.

Human Rights Act 1998

Joanna Cherry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his oral contribution of 9 June 2020, Official Report, column 147, what the terms of reference are of the independent review into the operation of the Human Rights Act 1998.

Joanna Cherry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his oral contribution of 9 June 2020, Official Report, column 147, what progress has been made on the independent review into the operation of the Human Rights Act 1998.

Joanna Cherry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his oral contribution of 9 June 2020, Official Report, column 147, who is the Chair of the independent review into the operation of the Human Rights Act 1998.

Joanna Cherry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his oral contribution of 9 June 2020, Official Report, column 147, what the membership is of the independent review into the operation of the Human Rights Act 1998.

Joanna Cherry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his oral contribution of 9 June 2020, Official report, column 147, what criteria were used to appoint members to the independent review into the operation of the Human Rights Act 1998.

Joanna Cherry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his oral contribution of 9 June 2020, Official report, column 147, when the independent review into the operation of the Human Rights Act 1998 will report.

Joanna Cherry: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, with reference to his oral contribution of 9 June 2020, Official report, column 147, how civil society organisations can (a) submit evidence to and (b) participate in the independent review into the operation of the Human Rights Act 1998.

Alex Chalk: As set out in the manifesto, the Government will look at the broader aspects of our constitution including the balance between the rights of individuals and effective government, this includes updating the Human Rights Act. Further details will be announced in due course. This does not change the fact that the UK is committed to the European Convention on Human Rights, and will continue to champion human rights at home and abroad.

Department for International Trade

Department for International Trade: Renewable Energy

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many (a) solar panels and (b) wind turbines her Department's buildings (a) have in 2020 and (b) had in each of the last five years.

Greg Hands: The Department does not have any solar panels or wind turbines installed on its buildings and has not had any installed since its inception in 2016.

Riot Control Weapons: Saudi Arabia and USA

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what the (a) value and (b) amount was of goods listed in export licences granted for the export of (i) rubber bullets, (ii) tear gas, (iii) riot equipment and (iv) other small arms to (A) the US and (B) Saudi Arabia in each of the last five years.

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many export licences have been granted for the export of (a) rubber bullets, (b) tear gas, (c) riot equipment and (d) other small arms to (i) the US and (ii) Saudi Arabia in each of the last five years.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: HM Government publishes Official Statistics (on a quarterly and annual basis) about export licences granted, refused and revoked to all destinations on GOV.UK and these reports contain detailed information on export licences issued, refused or revoked, by destination, including the overall value, type (e.g. Military, Other) and a summary of the items covered by these licences. The reports can be found at: gov.uk/government/collections/strategic-export-controls-licensing-data. The data currently provides details of licences up to 31st December 2019. Information about the period 1st January to 31st March 2020 will be published in July 2020 and data covering the period 1st April to 30th September 2020 will be published in October 2020

Exports: USA

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many export licences were granted for export to (a) the Minneapolis Police Department, (b) the New York Police Department, (c) the Los Angeles Police Department and (d) other US law enforcement agencies in each of the last five years.

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: Our records show that no export licences were granted for export to the Minneapolis Police Department nor the Los Angeles Police Department. One Standard Individual Export Licence was granted for export to the New York Police Department in 2016. The number of export licences that may have been granted to all other law enforcement agencies in the United States of America over the last five years can only be provided at disproportionate cost, due to the way in which licences are worded and information is held, which makes it generally possible to find the information only where a named end user is specified. For completeness, it is important to note that – for some licences – the exports are to stockists, who then supply end users within that country. On others, specific end users are not listed, but they might instead have conditions that restrict exports to the armed forces and the police, for example.

Open Individual Export Licences: USA

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to page 673 of the 2018 Strategic Export Controls Country Pivot Report, if she will publish all end user data associated with Open Individual Export Licence 16P to the USA (2008).

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference page 673 of the 2018 Strategic Export Controls Country Pivot Report, if she will publish all end user conditions associated with Open Individual Export Licence 16P to the USA (2018).

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to page 673 of the 2018 Strategic Export Controls Country Pivot Report, if she will publish the compliance record associated with Open Individual Export Licence 16P to the USA (2018).

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many compliance visits have been undertaken in relation to Open Individual Export Licence 16P to the USA (2018).

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will make it her policy to undertake an urgent compliance visit in relation to Open Individual Export Licence 16P to the USA (2018).

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: The purpose of compliance visits is to get assurance that exporters holding open licences meet the terms and conditions of the licences they use. The frequency of compliance visits takes into account several factors, including the track record of compliance by the exporter and their previous compliance levels, the types of licences utilised and the knowledge and experience of the business in relation to export controls. We are satisfied that there is no need to undertake an urgent inspection at this time. The Rt. Hon. Lady will know that standard end user conditions for all Open Individual Export Licences (OIELs) are available to view on GOV.UK and, under this licence, the exporter may only export to a government directly or companies using the listed goods in fulfilment of a government contract. Furthermore, export under this licence is restricted to the armed forces and the police. Compliance records are commercially sensitive and therefore cannot be published, but I can confirm that a compliance visit has been undertaken in relation to this licence.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Renewable Energy

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many (a) solar panels and (b) wind turbines his Department's buildings (a) have in 2020 and (b) had in each of the last five years.

Luke Hall: MHCLG offices are managed by the Government Property Agency with certain services, such as energy, managed by other government departments across all sites. MHCLG therefore does not hold this data.

Property Development: Isle of Dogs

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the affordability of the housing element of Westferry Printworks site plan as amended (PA/18/01877/A1) forTower Hamlets Residents who are of a BAME background.

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department conducted an environmental impact assessment of his decision to grant planning permission for the Westferry Printworks site (PA/18/01877/A1).

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of his decision to grant planning permission for the Westferry Printworks site (PA/18/01877/A1) on (a) national and (b) local carbon emissions targets; and if he will place a copy of that assessment in the Library.

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of his decision to grant planning permission for the Westferry Printworks site (PA/18/01877/A1) on Tower Hamlet’s air quality with reference to (a) National Air Quality Objective standards and (b) World Health Guidelines; and if he will place a copy of that assessment in the Library.

Christopher Pincher: The Secretary of State’s full analysis of the considerations in this case are set out in his Decision Letter of 14 January and accompanying Inspector’s Report. The proposed development would have provided nearly 300 new affordable homes and a brand new school for the local community.

Planning Permission

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many times he has given planning permission against a planning inspector’s recommendation; and if he will place a list of those occasions in the Library.

Christopher Pincher: The Secretary of State has issued 27 decisions on called in planning applications and recovered appeals.Disagreeing with an Inspector’s recommendation to grant planning permission is not unusual. John Prescott went against the Inspector’s recommendation to grant planning permission for a 50 storey tower at St George’s Cross, Vauxhall, London in 2005. Hazel Blears went against the Planning Inspector’s recommendation on the Doon St Tower, Lambeth, London in 2008 and granted planning permission for a scheme, including a 42 storey tower.

Housing: Standards

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the level of contribution made by local authorities to raising building standards for new dwellings.

Christopher Pincher: The Government remains committed to meeting its target of net zero emissions by 2050 and recognises the important contribution that the energy efficiency of buildings has to make in meeting it. In October 2019, we launched the first stage of a two-part consultation on Part L and Part F of the Building Regulations. We proposed an ambitious uplift in the energy efficiency of new homes through the introduction of a Future Homes Standard from 2025. We expect that homes built to the Future Homes Standard will have carbon dioxide emissions 75-80 per cent lower than those built to current Building Regulations standards, which means they will be fit for the future, with low carbon heating and very high fabric standards.We have consulted on a meaningful and achievable increase to the energy efficiency standards for new homes as a first step towards the 2025 standard. The preferred option set out in consultation is a standard that should result in a 31 per cent reduction in emissions, compared to current standards.We have proposed a stringent minimum standard for energy efficiency, to be applied across the country, to address issues of ambition, consistency, offsetting and targeting. This means that there may no longer be any need for local planning authorities to set higher standards at a local level. Our research suggests that few local planning authorities set higher standards, but those who do often set a 19 per cent improvement over 2013 standards. Our stage-one proposals will see a 31 per cent improvement over 2013 standards. In some local areas carbon offsetting schemes form part of the energy efficiency framework for buildings; and in others energy efficiency standards are targeted at specific kinds of building work. A single, national standard may minimise any confusion and uncertainty for local planning authorities, and better support the growth of supply chains of key products required to deliver the Future Homes Standard.The Future Homes Standard consultation closed on 7 February. The responses we received will be considered carefully, and a Government response will be published in due course.

Coronavirus: Ethnic Groups

Apsana Begum: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of (a) poverty and (b) overcrowding on the liklehood of (i) contracting and (ii) dying of covid-19 for (A) BAME people and (B) people from a Bangladeshi background.

Luke Hall: Public Health England’s (PHE) review ‘Disparities in the risk and outcomes of COVID-19’ presented an analysis of survival among people with confirmed COVID-19 by sex, age group, ethnicity, deprivation and region. It showed that, after taking these factors into account, some ethnic groups still had a higher risk of death than others.People from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities are likely to be at increased risk of acquiring the infection. This is because they are more likely to live in urban areas, in overcrowded households, in deprived areas, and have jobs that expose them to higher risk.On June 4, the Government’s Equality Hub published how Government will take forward next steps of this work.This Department is committed to making the housing market work for everyone and will continue to review what further work we need to do to support government objectives, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Religious Buildings: Coronavirus

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment has he made of the economic effect of covid-19 on places of worship; and if he will make a statement.

Luke Hall: Faith communities have a long history of service supporting many of the most vulnerable members of our society. The rapid response during the current pandemic has been no different and I would like to reiterate how much the government values the work being done to support those in need. Responsibility for faith engagement is led by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, who continue to play a facilitative role in ensuring Government understands the needs of faith communities and the challenges they may be currently facing due to the pandemic.We are working closely with a range of faith and community groups, including the Places of Worship Taskforce to better understand how Government can support them to respond to the pressures they face on sustaining their organisations during this period of time.The Government has announced a range of funds available to charities. Further information about what funding is available and how to apply can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/financial-support-for-voluntary-community-and-social-enterprise-vcse-organisations-to-respond-to-coronavirus-covid-19

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of Defence: Renewable Energy

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) solar panels and (b) wind turbines his Department's buildings (a) have in 2020 and (b) had in each of the last five years.

Jeremy Quin: There are approximately 115,000 buildings in the total Ministry of Defence Estate, and information on the number of solar panels and wind turbines on these buildings in 2020, and in each of the last 5 years, is not held in the format requested. However, there are examples of such installations including 2,653 solar PV panels installed by the Allenby Connaught Private Finance Initiative (PFI) and solar panels have been included on 286 new Service Family Accommodation houses recently built near the Salisbury Plain Training Area.

Voyager Aircraft

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has plans to refurbish a RAF Voyager in Union Jack colours for ministerial travel; what the cost of that refurbishment is; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Quin: I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave on 22 June to questions 60776, 60814, 60842, 60852, 60853 and 60864 to the hon Members for Cambridge (Daniel Zeichner), Newport West (Ruth Jones), Glasgow South (Stewart Malcolm McDonald), Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (Jamie Stone) and Portsmouth South (Stephen Morgan). 



60864 - Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft
(Word Document, 13.93 KB)

Voyager Aircraft

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what cost benefit analysis has been carried out on the plans to refurbish an RAF Voyager for ministerial travel in the colours of the Union Jack; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Quin: The VIP Voyager aircraft is already used to fly senior Government Ministers and members of the Royal Family on official business. The decision to re-paint the VIP Voyager aircraft was taken to ensure that the aircraft could better represent and promote the UK around the world with national branding. The new livery will benefit the UK by more clearly promoting Global Britain the world over.

Voyager Aircraft

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how might flights RAF Voyager was used for ministerial travel in each of the last five years.

Jeremy Quin: The number of occasions Voyager ZZ336 has been used on Prime Ministerial or Ministerial business since it was converted for its VIP role is given in the table below.   Voyager ZZ336 use in VIP role   FY 2016-17FY2017-18FY2018-19FY2019-20FY2020-21*78640* 1 April to 22 June 2020

Voyager Aircraft

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the (a) Prime Minister or (b) Prime Minister's office requested that RAF Voyager be painted in the colours of the Union Jack.

Jeremy Quin: I refer the hon Member to the answer I gave on 22 June to questions 60776, 60814, 60842, 60852, 60853 and 60864 to the hon Members for Cambridge (Daniel Zeichner), Newport West (Ruth Jones), Glasgow South (Stewart Malcolm McDonald), Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (Jamie Stone) and Portsmouth South (Stephen Morgan). 



60864 - Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft
(Word Document, 13.63 KB)

Voyager Aircraft

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether (a) Her Majesty the Queen or (b) Her Majesty the Queen's household was consulted on the changes to the colour of RAF Voyager.

Jeremy Quin: Consistent with normal practice, users of the RAF VIP Voyager were informed of the final designs to the changes of livery, this included Her Majesty The Queen's Household.

Voyager Aircraft

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the evidential basis that the re-painting of RAF Voyager in the colours of the Union Jack will (a) boost international trade and (b) improve diplomatic relations; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Quin: The VIP Voyager aircraft is already used to fly senior Government Ministers and members of the Royal Family on official business. The new livery better reflects this prestigious task and supports the UK's prosperity agenda, promoting Global Britain the world over when used for international trade and diplomatic missions.

Voyager Aircraft

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether the RAF has raised any security implications with regard to re-painting RAF Voyager in the colours of the Union Jack when that aircraft is used to carry (a) Ministers and (b) members of the Royal Family; and if he will make a statement.

Jeremy Quin: The RAF has not raised any security implications regarding the re-painting of the VIP Voyager aircraft.

Afghanistan: War Crimes

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what date was Operation Northmoor concluded by his Department.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, on what date he announced that Operation Northmoor had been concluded; and how that official announcement made.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will publish the conclusions of Operation Northmoor.

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what communication Ministers in his Department have had with personnel under investigation as part of Operation Northmoor in relation to the conclusion of that investigation.

Mr Ben Wallace: Holding answer received on 25 June 2020



On 15 July 2019, following consultation with the Director of Service Prosecutions and with the concurrence of the independent persons providing external assurance, the then Provost Marshal (Army) exercised his right as an independent authority to conclude the investigation phase of Operation Northmoor. In line with normal Service Police practice, anyone interviewed under caution and any affected units were notified, once appropriate, that they would not be referred to prosecutors.

Department for Work and Pensions

Jobseeker's Allowance

Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, for what reason the £20 hardship payment allocated to universal credit claimants was not also allocated to legacy Jobseeker's Allowance claimants.

Will Quince: The Government has announced a suite of measures that can be quickly and effectively operationalised to benefit those facing the most financial disruption during the pandemic. The Department is experiencing significantly increased demand and has to prioritise the safety and stability of the benefits system overall. The IT system which supports Universal Credit has more capacity to make the necessary changes than the systems that support legacy benefits. It also uses different technology from other DWP systems and these older systems have complex interactions and interdependencies.We estimate that 2.5m households receiving Universal Credit will benefit straight away from the increase in the standard allowances which was announced on 20 March, and which is additional to the planned annual uprating. New claimants who have either become unemployed, or whose earnings or work hours have decreased because of the outbreak, will benefit too; subject to their eligibility.We have also made a number of changes to legacy and other working age benefits in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including increasing certain entitlements, such as Local Housing Allowance. Up-to-date information about the employment and benefits support available, including Universal Credit, Statutory Sick Pay, New style Jobseeker’s Allowance, and Employment and Support Allowance, can be found here: https://www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/employment-and-benefits-support/The COVID-19 outbreak continues to be a rapidly evolving situation and we are keeping it under review.

Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her Department's policy to extend the temporary suspension of sanctioning in the welfare system beyond 30 June 2020.

Mims Davies: We made the decision to temporarily suspend the requirement for face-to-face Jobcentre Plus appointments for all claimants in Universal Credit, New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), old-style JSA and ESA, and Income Support. Arrangements after the 30th June will be communicated in due course.

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman

Drew Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to ensure that people continue to have access to the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman (PHSO) while complaint processing with the Independent Case Examiner exceeds PHSO complaint review timeframes.

Mims Davies: Decisions on whether to accept a complaint which has not exhausted DWP’s complaint processes – including its independent tier - rest with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman’s Office.

Department for Work and Pensions: Renewable Energy

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many (a) solar panels and (b) wind turbines her Department's buildings (a) have in 2020 and (b) had in each of the last five years.

Mims Davies: The Department is not responsible for the management and maintenance of any wind turbines or solar panels in the properties it occupies currently, or during the last five years.

Jobcentres: Coronavirus

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when her Department plans to review the suspension of the requirement to attend Jobcentre appointments during the covid-19 outbreak.

Mims Davies: We made the decision to temporarily suspend the requirement for face-to-face Jobcentre Plus appointments for all claimants in Universal Credit, New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), old-style JSA and ESA, and Income Support. Arrangements after the 30th June will be communicated in due course.

Universal Credit

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when her Department plans to review the uplift to universal credit.

Will Quince: On 20 March the Government announced a temporary increase to the Universal Credit standard allowance of £20 per week. Legislation allows this measure to continue for the 20/21 tax year.

Pensions

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what information her Department holds on the average number of separate pension pots held by people who are also a member of an auto-enrolment scheme.

Guy Opperman: There is currently no single data source that provides information on the the average number of pension pots belonging to members of automatic-enrolment schemes. As at May 2020, over 10 million individuals had been automatically enrolled into a workplace pension. The Pensions Regulator estimates that there are around 55 million pension entitlements in total. However, not all of these entitlements will belong to individuals who have been automatically enrolled.  Pensions Dashboards will help consumers to keep track of their various pensions and see what they have online and in one place to help support them in their retirement planning. The Government is legislating to compel pension schemes and providers to make their data available to consumers via pensions dashboards.

Universal Credit: Private Rented Housing

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of private renters who would be ineligible for universal credit on the basis of (a) their status as a student, (b) their savings and (c) their immigration status.

Will Quince: The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Universal Credit: Self-employment Income Support Scheme

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claimants have received a payment under the Self Employed Income Support Scheme.

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claimants who are lone parents have received a payment under the Self Employed Income Support Scheme.

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many universal credit claimants have received a payment under the Self Employed Income Support Scheme which exceeds their standard and any other allowance for that assessment period.

Will Quince: The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Food: Staffordshire

Jonathan Gullis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to promote British food producers based in Staffordshire.

Victoria Prentis: I am proud that, year after year, our farmers and food producers provide outstanding produce to high environmental standards. It is thanks to them that the UK has acquired a strong reputation for exceptional quality food and drink, produced to high standards of food safety, animal welfare and sustainability. Staffordshire is no exception to this, with its excellent food and drink, including, of course, Staffordshire Cheese, which has its own Geographical Indication. The entire Agri-Food sector, from farm to fork, contributed £121 billion to the UK economy in 2018 and supports approximately 4 million jobs (14% of national employment). Our goal is to strengthen our support to increase demand for these products further, so that more people buy British both at home and abroad. We welcome efforts from all parts of the food chain to promote and source British products and I am aware that supermarkets are already taking steps to do so. The Secretary of State also has regular discussions with supermarkets, retailers and other stakeholders in the food and drink industry covering a wide range of issues. This week, Defra and the Department for International Trade have launched a package of support that will offer immediate support to help agriculture, food and drink businesses grow their trade activity overseas. This will help producers, manufacturers and agri-tech companies across the food supply chain, from farm to fork, and has been developed with insight from the devolved administrations, trade associations, businesses and DIT’s regional and international networks. We are also working closely with the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) as they develop consumer-facing marketing campaigns for the meat and dairy sectors. We will continue to engage with and support similar initiatives that highlight the qualities of British meat, dairy, and fruit and vegetable products, such as those produced in Staffordshire. We will always champion British food producers and want people to value local produce.

Food: Coronavirus

Jonathan Gullis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that financially vulnerable people have access to the food and necessities that they need in (a) Stoke-on-Trent, (b) Kidsgrove and (c) Talke.

Jonathan Gullis: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that financially vulnerable people in (a) Stoke-on-Trent and (b) Staffordshire have access to (i) food and (ii) other necessities.

Victoria Prentis: We have received £16 million from a DCMS funding pot to help critical front-line services ensure that vulnerable people have the food that they need. We are working with FareShare and the Waste Resource Action Programme (WRAP) to deliver this, as well as other charitable organisations through the COVID-19 Food Charity Grant Scheme. They will use surplus food and purchased food from the supply chain to help at least 5,000 front-line charities, covering England and rural areas.An additional £63 million has been confirmed by the Government to be distributed to local authorities in England to help those who are struggling to afford food and other essentials due to coronavirus.Local authorities are already working hard to support those who are vulnerable and this additional funding will contribute to that work.Many have existing mechanisms to provide this support in a way that suits the needs of their community. This includes provision of cash payments, food vouchers, or alternative means of support. We are currently finalising the amounts to be allocated to different Local Authorities.This funding will sit alongside the £6.5 billion of extra support the Government is providing through the welfare system to ensure the most vulnerable in our society are protected throughout this crisis.

Welfare Assistance Schemes: Coronavirus

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the £63 million of local welfare assistance to be used by local authorities announced by the Prime Minister on 10 June 2020, how much of the £63 million (a) is new money and (b) has previously been announced and on what dates.

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the £63 million of local welfare assistance to be used by local authorities announced by the Prime Minister on 10 June 2020, what amount has been allocated to Hull City Council.

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the £63 million of local welfare assistance to be used by local authorities announced by the Prime Minister on 10 June 2020, whether this funding is ring-fenced for children on free school meals during the school holidays.

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to the £63 million of local welfare assistance to be used by local authorities announced at Prime Minister’s Questions on 10 June 2020, whether he plans to make the same level of additional funding in each of the next five years.

Victoria Prentis: All of the £63 million is additional funding, sitting alongside the £6.5 billion of extra support the Government is providing through the benefits system to ensure the most vulnerable in our society are protected throughout this crisis. We are currently finalising the amounts to be allocated to different local authorities. The funding is not ring-fenced for children on free school meals. The Government has recently announced a further £120 million of funding to continue free school meals for children during the school holidays. This funding is a one-off boost to local authorities in recognition that some people in our communities are facing sudden and severe financial difficulties.

Wines: Imports

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2020 to Question 54850 on Wine: Imports, what estimate he has made of the number of VI-1 import forms per year that will need to be produced and processed to accompany EU wines imported into the UK after the end of the transition period.

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 9 June 2020 to Question 54850 on Wine: Imports, what impact assessment he has made of the costs and other burdens for (a) EU wine exporters, (b) UK wine importers and (c) UK wine consumers of the introduction at the end of the transition period of full VI-1 import certificates for wine imported into the UK from the EU .

Victoria Prentis: VI-1s would be needed to cover most imports of wine. However, there are several exceptions to this requirement, such as for shipments of less than 100 litres, for personal imports or for trade shows. Defra has not estimated the number of certificates that will be needed, but we note that the industry’s representative body, the Wine and Spirit Trade Association, have suggested there will be in the region of 500,000 imports each year requiring VI-1 No impact assessment has been carried out on the costs for EU wine exporters, UK wine importers, or UK wine consumers. We would expect the cost to EU wine exporters to be significant given the importance of the UK market to this major producing region. We note that the WSTA estimates that this would cost the EU export industry roughly £70 million per annum. Whether the cost of producing VI-1 certificates will be passed on to UK consumers and importers is a commercial matter. It will be the EU producers’ responsibility to provide the VI-1 certificate and the responsibility of the relevant authority in each Member State to certify that the form meets the UK requirements. The EU introduced the VI-1 form for third country imports, and will become subject to the rule themselves as they become a third country importer to the UK. Despite this overhead, ‘new-world producers’ including Australia, New Zealand, USA, Chile and Argentina continue to import and currently account for 50% of wines on the UK market. UK consumers will still have a wide and varied choice of quality wine.

Food: Coronavirus

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the financial effect of the covid-19 outbreak on food and drink wholesalers.

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on the (a) resilience of food and drink wholesalers during the covid-19 outbreak and (b) importance of their role in delivering food and drink to the (i) tourism, (ii) hospitality and (iii) other sectors.

Victoria Prentis: The wholesale sector is hugely important within the food and drink supply chain. To ensure its ongoing viability in difficult circumstances, the UK Government has provided a range of support. Food and drink wholesalers are eligible for a number of schemes, including: the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan, the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to help keep millions of people in employment and the Discretionary Grant Fund for small and micro businesses that are not eligible for other grant schemes. The Secretary of State speaks to his counterparts in the Scottish Government, including through the Defra multilateral Inter Ministerial Group, on a regular basis when they discuss a range of issues. Discussions also take place regularly at official level and these cover sharing of sectoral information and updates on Government activities. Food supply is a devolved matter. It is therefore for the Scottish Government to decide what discussions they have with their sectors and what support to provide beyond that delivered at UK level in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Fishing Catches: Computer Software

Luke Pollard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to hold discussion with the fishing community on the redesign or replacement of the under-10m CatchApp.

Victoria Prentis: The catch recording application was introduced as the best solution to capture recorded landings for the under 10 metre fishing fleet. The app has undergone extensive user research and testing involving representatives from the fishing industry. 77% of those invited to register have already done so, submitting over 27,000 records through the application to date. Since January 2020, an average 936 records have been successfully submitted through the application each week by vessels registered in England. The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has clarified publicly in updates published on 10 and 26 February 2020 that there would be further time for those within the fishing industry to adjust to the introduction of the new catch recording application. In addition to continued one-to-one support from coastal offices, the MMO has held over 15 drop-in sessions around the country earlier this year to support the fishing industry with the continued roll out. The MMO continues to work on implementing improvements to the catch recording app based on feedback from existing users. Some of the improvements already implemented include the addition of further ports and species to the app and making it possible to record weights less than 1kg. The MMO are continuing to work with industry to improve the service, in terms of its functionality and utility. The MMO remain committed to continuing to listen to and support the fishing community in adapting to this new requirement, making changes to the system where necessary.

Home Office

Extradition: USA

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many extradition requests were made by the UK to the USA during the period 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2019; and of those requests (a) what the nationality was of the defendant for each extradition request, (b) how many extraditions requests were successful, by the nationality of the defendant and (c) how many extradition requests were rejected, by the nationality of the defendant.

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many extradition requests were made by the USA to the UK during the period 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2019, and of these requests (a) the nationality of the defendant for each extradition request (b) the number of successful extraditions by the nationality of the defendant and (c) the number of rejected requests by the nationality of the defendant.

James Brokenshire: As a matter of long-standing policy and practice, we do not disclose whether an extradition request has been made or received until such time as a person is arrested in relation to the request. We therefore cannot provide the total number of extradition requests made by the UK to the USA or vice versa.We can, however, provide the figures for both successful and unsuccessful extradition requests. These can only be provided from 2016 because before then the nationality in extradition requests was not regularly centrally recorded in all cases. Requests from US to UK – successfulNationalityNumberBritish11American8Romanian3Nigerian2Italian1Lithuanian1Latvian1British / American1Colombian1Egyptian1Ukrainian1German1Irish1Dutch1Somali1Pakistani1Total36 Requests from US to UK – unsuccessfulNationalityNumberBritish2Total2 Requests from UK to USA – successful NationalityNumberBritish5American3Nigerian1Italian1Chinese1British / Montenegrin1Ghanaian1Indian / American1Total14 There has only been one unsuccessful request from the UK to the USA. Please note that “unsuccessful” requests include those refused by the court. All figures are from local management information and have not been quality assured to the level of published National Statistics. As such they should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change. The figures do not include Scotland, which deals with its own extradition cases.

Home Office: Written Questions

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when her Department plans to answer Questions 311, 312 and 313 tabled by the hon. Member for Croydon North on 20 December 2019.

Victoria Atkins: The response for UINs 311, 312 and 313 were given on 25th June 2020.

Immigration: EU Nationals

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the Answer of 16 October 2019 to freedom of information request 54536, for what reason 89.5 per cent of administrative reviews of EU Settlement Scheme applications resulted in an initial decision being overturned; what steps her Department is taking to (a) improve decision making to ensure the accuracy of initial decisions and (b) issue guidance to claimants undertaking the application process on the evidence required for settled status; and if she will make a statement.

Kevin Foster: The number of administrative reviews of decisions under the EU Settlement Scheme is very low compared to the number of applications concluded (more than 3.3 million) to 31 May 2020.Where EU Settlement Scheme decisions are overturned at administrative review, in the majority of cases this is a result of applicants providing new information or evidence which was not provided with their original application.There are a small number of cases where a caseworker error has occurred, and in such cases the application fee for the administrative review is refunded. Our administrative review teams provide feedback to the initial decision-making teams to reduce the likelihood of such errors being repeated.There is a wide range of guidance and support available for applicants and, where necessary, our caseworkers will work with applicants to help them provide the evidence required to qualify for status under the scheme. More information on the evidence required when making an application is available at: https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families/what-youll-need-to-apply.

European Arrest Warrants

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the status of European arrest warrants issued prior to the UK leaving the EU will be after the UK's withdrawal.

James Brokenshire: The Withdrawal Agreement provides for a transition period during which we continue to use all the EU security and justice tools we used prior to exit. European Arrest Warrants remain valid.The Withdrawal Agreement further provides that the European Arrest Warrant Framework Decision shall continue to apply in respect of European Arrest Warrants where the requested person was arrested before the end of the transition period.

Home Office: Written Questions

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to answer Question 4306 tabled on 16 January 2020.

James Brokenshire: The response for UIN 4306 was given on 26th June 2020.

Home Office: Written Questions

Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, when she plans to answer Question 4307 tabled on 16 January 2020.

James Brokenshire: The response for UIN 4307 was given on 26th June 2020.

Terrorism: Surveillance

Andrew Bowie: To ask the Secretary of State for Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate she has made of the cost to the public purse of full surveillance of a convicted terrorist after release from prison.

James Brokenshire: For security reasons we do not disclose the breakdown of counter-terrorism police funding for specific capabilities.The Government is committed to supporting our superb police, security and intelligence agencies, who work round the clock to keep us safe.That is why the Government increased resources to the intelligence community in the 2015 Spending Review. By 2021, the security and intelligence agencies will have invested an additional £2.5bn in their capability to deliver against national security priorities.

Asylum

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the date of receipt was of the oldest outstanding asylum claim.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will publish the information she holds on trends in the level of time taken from the date of an asylum claim to the date of a substantive asylum interview in the last five years.

Anneliese Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to reduce the time between the date of an asylum claim and the date of a substantive asylum interview.

Chris Philp: The date of receipt of the oldest outstanding asylum claim is 23rd August 2012.There are cases in particular where more complex issues arise around a claimant’s entitlement to asylum and there is a need for us to engage in wider stakeholder involvement, alongside additional analysis and scrutiny. These cases continue to be processed as quickly as possible, but the Secretary of State has to be satisfied that our decisions are compliant with the 1951 Refugee Convention prior to service as this is a mandatory requirement.The Home Office does not routinely publish information on the trends in the level of time taken from the date of an asylum claim to the date of a substantive asylum interview as this information is not held in a reportable formatHowever, the Home Office do publish information on the number of main asylum applications awaiting an initial decision, by duration from the period end of March 2020, and can be found in table ASY_04 of the published Immigration statistics www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-2020/list-of-tables#asylum-and-resettlementOver the last 18 months, UK Visas and Immigration have increased the number of Asylum decision makers and support staff as part of a rolling recruitment campaign and mobilised a transformation programme that seeks to simplify, streamline and digitise processes as part of the plans to speed up the asylum decision making process and reduce the time from date of claim to substantive interview.In line with the Home Office’s commitment to protect the health and wellbeing of its staff and applicants as a top priority in response to COVID-19, Asylum Operations made the decision to cease face to face substantive asylum interviews with effect from Thursday 19th March 2020.However, it is crucial to our applicants that we restart processing their applications for protection as soon as it is safe to do so. The Home Office has successfully used video technology to support remote interviewing for more than 2 years and has appropriate operating procedures that are designed to ensure participants are able to give the best account of their circumstances.To keep people safe but allow the Home Office to gather the additional information needed to make a decision on their claim for protection, Asylum Operations have secured additional mobile digital and video interviewing kit that enables more applicants to be interviewed remotely. We remain committed to restarting substantive asylum interviews as soon we can establish a process that allows the participants - applicants, representatives, interpreters and interviewers - to do so safely.

Domestic Abuse: Victim Support Schemes

Geraint Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what services the Government has made available for vulnerable (a) children and (b) adults who are at risk of domestic abuse during the covid-19 outbreak.

Victoria Atkins: Domestic abuse is unacceptable in any situation, no matter what the stresses.The Government acknowledges that measures announced to tackle coronavirus (COVID-19) can cause additional anxiety for those who are at risk of domestic abuse. We are working closely with the sector and local safeguarding partners to understand how COVID-19 has impacted on their work to protect vulnerable children and adults. Safeguarding remains a priority during this extremely challenging period, and we continue to support local agencies to continue to work together and keep children safe.Guidance on vulnerable children and young people has been updated and can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-schools-and-other-educational-settings.The Government will make funding worth £1.6 million available immediately for the NSPCC to expand and promote its national helpline for adults. This will assist more adults to know how and where to raise concerns and seek advice or support about the safety and wellbeing of any children they are worried about.Following increases in calls to domestic abuse helplines and online services, the Home Secretary announced an additional £2m to bolster organisations’ capacity on April 11. This is in addition to £28m of Government funding for domestic abuse charities to help survivors of domestic abuse and their children by providing more safe spaces, accommodation and access to support services during the coronavirus outbreak.We have also launched a campaign to raise awareness of domestic abuse and signpost victims to the support services available. The campaign, under the hashtag #YouAreNotAlone, aims to reassure those affected by domestic abuse that support services remain available during this difficult time. Details of these services can be found at www.gov.uk/domestic-abuse

Aviation: Coronavirus

Tom Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether the cost of Government-arranged accommodation for international arrivals who have not arranged accommodation in which to quarantine for 14 days will be paid for from the public purse.

Kevin Foster: Where people arrive and are non-symptomatic, they are expected to have arranged their own accommodation.If for some reason they require different accommodation, they can use the government organised hotel booking service where all costs will fall to the traveller.Existing immigration rules allow for a traveller who has insufficient funds to support themselves during a visit to be refused entry to the UK.Where people arrive and are symptomatic, and they do not have suitable accommodation to self-isolate, the government will provide suitable accommodation until such time as they either complete the 14 day period, recover from their symptoms or have a test which confirms they do not have the virus. In this circumstance the traveller will be expected to cover all other expenditure during the period they are in a government quarantine facility.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans she has to provide a means for individuals to challenge Fixed Penalty Notices under the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (England) 2020 without having to pursue magistrates' court proceedings.

Kit Malthouse: As with all Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs), there is no appeals process for those issued under the Health Protection Regulations. An individual may decide not to pay the FPN and instead await a decision from the police and then the CPS as to whether criminal proceedings are bought. Such proceedings would provide an opportunity to contest the issuing of the FPN. The CPS and Police will always need to be satisfied the public interest test is met before bringing a prosecution. Therefore, the CPS is continuously reviewing all of the charges brought, as these are exceptional powers being used.

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Tier 4 Student Visa applications were submitted in the period January to June (a) 2018, (b) 2019 and (c) 2020.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office publishes data on Tier 4 visas in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’ (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release). Data on applications for Tier 4 visas are published in table Vis_D01 of the entry clearance detailed datasets. (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/managed-migration-datasets#entry-clearance-visas-granted-outside-the-uk) Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to year ending March 2020. Data for April to June 2020 are due for future publication on 27 August 2020. Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in the entry clearance summary tables (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-2020/list-of-tables#entry-clearance-visas). The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all available data on entry clearance visas. Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’ (https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics?keywords=immigration&content_store_document_type=upcoming_statistics&organisations%5B%5D=home-office&order=relevance).

Entry Clearances: Overseas Students

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Tier 4 Student Visas were granted in the period January to June (a) 2018, (b) 2019 and (c) 2020.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office publishes data on Tier 4 visas in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’ (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release). Data on grants of Tier 4 visas are published in table Vis_D02 of the entry clearance detailed datasets (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/managed-migration-datasets#entry-clearance-visas-granted-outside-the-uk). Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to year ending March 2020. Data for April to June 2020 are due for future publication on 27 August 2020. Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in the entry clearance summary tables (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/immigration-statistics-year-ending-march-2020/list-of-tables#entry-clearance-visas). The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all available data on entry clearance visas. Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’ (https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics?keywords=immigration&content_store_document_type=upcoming_statistics&organisations%5B%5D=home-office&order=relevance).

Migrant Workers: Social Services

Dr Dan Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans her Department has to extend the eligibility to apply for the proposed NHS Visa to social care staff.

Kevin Foster: The Government is committed to introducing an NHS visa which will provide eligible doctors, nurses and other allied health professionals, and their families, with fast-track entry, reduced visa fees and dedicated resource. In addition, as announced by the Prime Minister on 21 May, NHS workers and wider health and social care workers, including those coming on the NHS Visa, will be removed from having to pay the Immigration Health Surcharge.Further details, including regarding eligibility, will be published in due course.

British Nationality: Latvia

Alberto Costa: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many Latvian nationals have received British citizenship in the last 10 years.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office publishes data on Citizenship in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’ (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/immigration-statistics-quarterly-release). Data on grants of British citizenship are published in table Cit_D02 of the citizenship detailed datasets (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/managed-migration-datasets).Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to the year ending March 2020. Additionally, the Home Office publishes a high-level overview of the data in the summary tables (attached). The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all available data on citizenship.Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’ (https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics?keywords=immigration&content_store_document_type=upcoming_statistics&organisations%5B%5D=home-office&order=relevance).



Summary table
(Excel SpreadSheet, 52.07 KB)

Greek Islands: Asylum

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many unaccompanied children the Government plans to resettle from the Greek Islands under the Dublin Agreement in 2020.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of taking additional child refugees and asylum other than the quota provided in Dublin agreement.

Chris Philp: Protecting vulnerable children remains a key priority for the Government. In 2019 alone, the UK received more asylum applications from unaccompanied children than any country in the EU and accounted for approximately 20% of all reported asylum claims from unaccompanied children in the UK and the 27 EU Member States. The UK remains fully committed to meeting its obligations under the Dublin Regulation and we will continue to accept request for transfer until the end of the transition period. The number of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children transferred to the UK under the Dublin Regulation is dependent on the number of requests received from EU Member States and how many of those requests are accepted. The latest data, covering up to 2019, can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/asylum-and-resettlement-datasets#dublin-regulation The UK committed to a one-off relocation of 480 unaccompanied children from Europe to the UK under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016.  We have now transferred 478 unaccompanied children from participating States, including Greece and will complete the final transfers as soon as it is safe to do so. We welcome the pledges made by other countries to support Greece and stand ready to offer advice and guidance to those developing their own schemes.

Registration of Births, Deaths, Marriages and Civil Partnerships

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if he will enable next of kin to register births by telephone during the covid-19 outbreak.

Kevin Foster: In England and Wales, the relevant legislation does not allow births to be registered solely by telephone.  However, it is now possible to collect the details required for the registration by telephone, prior to attendance in person to sign the register.

Scotland Office

Food: Wholesale Trade

Chris Elmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with the Chancellor for the Exchequer on support for the wholesale food and drink sector in Scotland.

Mr Alister Jack: I am in regular contact with the Chancellor for the Exchequer and all members of the Cabinet to discuss how best the UK Government can support sectors of the Scottish economy, including the wholesale food and drink sector. At the last budget delivered in March I was pleased to see the Scotch whisky industry getting a welcome boost, with a freeze on spirits and a commitment to a review of alcohol duty, and £10 million help to develop green technology. I was also extremely happy to see £1 million investment in promoting Scottish produce to overseas markets. The wholesale food and drink sector in Scotland has also been considered as part of the UK Government’s broader Covid-19 support. This included the support offered through the Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme which have protected the incomes of almost 800,000 people in Scotland – more than a quarter of the workforce. This is in addition to the various loans and guarantees to help UK businesses survive the economic fallout from coronavirus. However, our response to Covid-19 must be UK-wide and that’s why we have announced over £7 billion of additional funding to the devolved administrations to support people, business and public services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This means £3.8 billion for the Scottish Government, £2.2 billion for the Welsh Government and £1.2 billion for the Northern Ireland Executive.

Cabinet Office

Cabinet Office: Renewable Energy

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many (a) solar panels and (b) wind turbines his Department's buildings (a) have in 2020 and (b) had in each of the last five years.

Chloe Smith: There are no solar panels or wind turbines on buildings occupied by the Cabinet Office, nor have there been in any of the last five years.Energy suppliers to the Cabinet Office are actively seeking to decarbonise their supply chains. The Cabinet Office electricity provider is one of the UK’s leading renewable energy companies, owning 35 wind farms – including two offshore wind farms – and one of the largest operational battery storage units in Europe.The Cabinet Office is also committed to achieving the Government’s net zero by 2050 target and is actively working with the Government Property Agency to increase the use of renewable energy, particularly in the place of gas appliances.

Treasury

Pensions: Taxation

Nick Smith: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to paragraph 2.182 of Budget 2020, what the timeframe is for the publication of the call for evidence on pension administration.

John Glen: The Government recognises the different impacts of the two systems of paying pension tax relief on pension contributions for workers earning below the personal allowance. At Budget 2020, the Government announced a call for evidence will be published on pensions tax relief administration, in line with our manifesto commitment to comprehensively review this issue. In the light of COVID-19, the Government is considering the publication of this and other Government documents on a case by case basis, taking into account the impact of COVID-19 on stakeholders, and will provide more information on the timeframe for publication of this call for evidence in due course. The Government has sought to support low earners through a range of measures, including increasing the personal allowance to £12,500 and committing to a new ambitious target for the National Living Wage.

Public Finance

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the UK budget deficit by the end of 2020; and what that deficit equates to per household.

John Glen: The Treasury does not publish forecasts of the economy or the public finances; the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) is the UK’s official forecaster. On 14 April, the OBR published a coronavirus reference scenario outlining the potential impact of COVID-19 on the economy and public finances. This was not an official forecast and the OBR highlight that the duration and scale of the economic disruption is highly uncertain. On 14 May the OBR published revised fiscal aggregates and monthly profiles relating to this scenario, estimating PSNB will reach £298.4 billion or 15.2% of GDP in 2020/21. The OBR did not produce an estimate on a per household basis. While it is clear that the impact of COVID-19 on the economy and the government's necessary response to it will lead to an increase in borrowing this year, the OBR have noted that the costs of inaction would have been greater.

Money

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the value is of notes and coins in pounds sterling in circulation in the (a) UK and (b) rest of the world.

John Glen: The issue of banknotes is the responsibility of the Bank of England. The Bank of England calculates that the aggregate value of its notes in circulation is £71bn.Furthermore, the aggregate value of banknotes in circulation issued by the Scottish and Northern Irish commercial banks authorised to do so is £7bn.The Royal Mint calculates the total face value of coins in circulation is £4.7bn.It is not possible for the Bank of England or the Royal Mint to calculate what value of notes and coins are freely circulating and what is being held as a store of value.The Bank of England and the Royal Mint do not hold information on the value of notes and coins held outside the UK.

Government Securities

Sir George Howarth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the total value is of gilts issued in the (a) UK and (b) rest of the world.

John Glen: As of 31 March 2020, the total market value of gilt holdings was £2,057.80 billion. Overseas investors held a market value of £620.14 billion of gilts, representing 30.1% of total gilt holdings. This left 69.9% of total holdings at a market value of £1,437.66 billion of gilts held in the UK.

Treasury: Renewable Energy

Sir Edward Davey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) solar panels and (b) wind turbines his Department's buildings (a) have in 2020 and (b) had in each of the last five years.

Kemi Badenoch: HM Treasury have not installed any solar panels or wind turbines in 1 Horse Guards Road.

Hydrogen

Kevin Hollinrake: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of establishing a hydrogen strategy similar to those in (a) Germany, (b) Norway, (c) Canada, (d) the Netherlands, (e) Portugal or the European Commission's proposed EU-wide hydrogen strategy.

Kemi Badenoch: The Government takes its environmental responsibilities very seriously and welcomes international efforts to invest in technologies that will be needed to decarbonise the energy used in our economies. We are committed to meeting our climate change targets, including net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Hydrogen could be an important part of the transition to net zero. We are investing in innovation, providing up to £121m to support a range of projects to explore and develop the potential of low carbon hydrogen. This includes production, storage and end use in heat, industry and transport. In 2019 the Government published a consultation on business models for Carbon Capture and Storage, which sought views on support for low-carbon hydrogen. The response to the consultation will be published in due course.

Cryptocurrencies

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an economic assessment of the potential merits of establishing a UK digital currency reserve bank.

John Glen: The government set out at Budget that the UK will continue to take a leading role in exploring central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), and the wide-ranging opportunities and challenges they could bring. The Bank of England’s discussion paper on a possible UK central bank digital currency was published at the time of the Budget and closed for responses on 12 June. HM Treasury and the Bank of England are now working together to consider next steps.

Non-domestic Rates and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he plans to extend eligibility for (a) the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant and (b) Business Rates Relief to food and drink wholesalers that supply hospitality businesses, care homes and schools.

Kemi Badenoch: Business support is a devolved policy and therefore is the responsibility of the devolved administrations. The UK Government has announced £7.4 billion of additional funding to the devolved administrations to respond to COVID-19 and to support people, businesses and public services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This means £3.8 billion for the Scottish Government, £2.3 billion for the Welsh Government and £1.3 billion for the Northern Ireland Executive to respond to COVID-19. With regards to the application of the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund and business rates relief in England, the Government recognises that this is a very challenging time for businesses in a wide variety of sectors. Small businesses occupying properties for retail, hospitality or leisure purposes are likely to be particularly affected by COVID-19 due to their reliance on customer footfall, and the fact that they are less likely than larger businesses to have sufficient cash reserves to meet their high fixed property-related costs. The Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund (RHLGF) is intended to help small businesses in this situation. Local Authorities (LAs) in England can choose to make discretionary grants to businesses in supply chains, like the wholesale food and drink sector, if they feel there is a particular local economic need. The Government has allocated up to an additional £617 million to LAs to enable them to give discretionary grants. While food and drink wholesalers are not one of the priority groups which Government has asked LAs to focus on, LAs may choose to make payments to businesses outside of these priority groups if they feel there is a local economic need to do so, so long as the business was trading on 11th March, and has not received any other cash grant funded by central Government (with the exception of grants from the SEISS). Small businesses which are not eligible for business grants should still be able to benefit from other elements of the Government’s unprecedented package of support. The Business Support website provides further information about how businesses can access the support that has been made available, who is eligible, when the schemes open and how to apply - https://www.gov.uk/business-coronavirus-support-finder.

Child Care Vouchers: Coronavirus

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to ensure that parents are able to access the funds remaining in their Childcare Voucher accounts to help them support their children during the covid-19 outbreak.

Steve Barclay: As part of the country’s ongoing response to the COVID-19 virus, the Government announced that childcare settings (including nurseries, pre-schools, childminders and wrap around childcare for school aged children) would close to everyone except children of critical workers and vulnerable children. As childcare settings gradually re-open, parents currently on the childcare vouchers scheme will be able to use their vouchers as a valid form of payment for eligible childcare services. The childcare vouchers scheme remains closed to new entrants, so parents not currently in the scheme should register for its successor, Tax-Free Childcare.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: Fraud

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many reports of abuse of the furlough scheme the Government has received; and what progress he has made in investigating them.

Jesse Norman: As of 19 June, HMRC have confirmed receipt of 3,351 allegations of fraud relating specifically to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. These have been assessed in line with HMRC’s standard operating procedures for fraudulent allegations.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Stuart C McDonald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the number of firms using the furlough scheme towards the cost of redundancy payments.

Jesse Norman: As per the latest updates to the guidance for the Coronavirus Job Retention scheme, grants cannot be used to substitute redundancy payments. HMRC will continue to monitor businesses after the scheme has closed. Full guidance can be found on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.

Self-employed: Coronavirus

Alec Shelbrooke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support he plans to make available to recently self-employed people who are ineligible for the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme as a result of their 2018-19 self-assessment tax return including a one-off redundancy payment which HMRC classes as non-traded income.

Jesse Norman: The Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), including the eligibility requirement that an individual’s trading profits must be at least equal to their non-trading income, is designed to target those who most need it, and who are most reliant on their self-employment income. If an individual is not eligible based on their 2018-19 Self Assessment return, HM Revenue & Customs will then look at their Self Assessment returns from 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 to determine their eligibility. This reduces the impact of one-off events, such as a redundancy payment, in determining eligibility. More detail is available at www.gov.uk/guidance/how-hmrc-works-out-total-income-and-trading-profits-for-the-self-employment-income-support-scheme#eligibility. The first £30,000 of a termination payment is not chargeable to income tax and is therefore not included in the calculation of an individual’s non-trading income. This further reduces the impact that a redundancy payment may have on eligibility for the SEISS. Individuals who received more than half their income from non-trading sources in 2018-19 and did not have trading profits from earlier Self Assessment returns may still be eligible for other elements of the financial support provided by the Government. The SEISS is one element of a comprehensive package of support for individuals and businesses, including Bounce Back loans, tax deferrals, rental support, increased levels of Universal Credit, mortgage holidays, and other business support grants. More information about the full range of business support measures is available at www.gov.uk/government/collections/financial-support-for-businesses-during-coronavirus-covid-19.

Hospitality Industry and Tourism: VAT

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make it his policy to reduce VAT on tourism and hospitality-related activities to 5 per cent.

Jesse Norman: VAT raised £130 billion in 2019/2020. It is a major source of revenue for the Exchequer and plays an important part in funding the Government’s spending priorities including hospitals, schools and defence. Reducing VAT on tourism and hospitality-related activities would come at a considerable cost to the Exchequer. However, the Government keeps all taxes under review. In light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Chancellor has announced a range of measures to help individuals and businesses through the crisis, including grants, loans and relief from business rates worth more than £300 billion.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: Directors

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to extend the RTI Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme deadline for company directors on annual payroll schemes.

Jesse Norman: As office holders, salaried company directors are eligible to be furloughed and receive support through this scheme. Directors paid annually are eligible to claim, as long as they meet the relevant conditions. These include being notified to HMRC on an RTI submission on or before 19 March 2020 which relates to a payment of earnings in the 2019/20 tax year. This requirement is important in order to protect taxpayers’ money from fraudulent claims.

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme: Staffordshire

Jonathan Gullis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate the Government has made of the number of grants provided through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme in (a) Stoke-on-Trent and (b) Staffordshire.

Jesse Norman: HMRC publish statistics on the total number of employments furloughed by local authority, including Stoke-on-Trent unitary authority and Staffordshire County. The latest statistics are available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/coronavirus-job-retention-scheme-statistics-june-2020

Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Mr Richard Holden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether grants under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme can be used to cover redundancy costs.

Jesse Norman: As per the latest updates to the guidance for the Coronavirus Job Retention scheme, grants cannot be used to substitute redundancy payments. HMRC will continue to monitor businesses after the scheme has closed. Full guidance can be found on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme.

Non-domestic Rates

Mark Menzies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer,  if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of extending the business rates holiday for the retail, leisure and hospitality sectors to the manufacturing sector.

Jesse Norman: The Government has provided enhanced support through business rates relief to businesses occupying properties used for retail, hospitality and leisure given the direct and acute impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on those sectors. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has published guidance for local authorities on eligible properties. As set out in the guidance, support is targeted at premises that are wholly or mainly being used as shops, restaurants, cafes, drinking establishments, cinemas and live music venues; for assembly and leisure; or as hotels, guest and boarding premises and self-catering accommodation. It is for local authorities to determine eligibility for reliefs, having regard to guidance issued by the Government. A range of further measures to support all businesses, including those not eligible for the business rates holiday, such as manufacturers, has also been made available.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Broadband: Rural Areas

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what information his Department holds on the average broadband speed in rural areas in 2010.

Matt Warman: Ofcom’s UK Broadband Speeds report, published in May 2010, estimated that the average download speed delivered to residential fixed-line broadband consumers in rural areas was 2.7Mbps. This was actual experienced speed, measured using a sample panel, and would have reflected the package chosen by the consumer, even if a higher speed service was available to them. Ofcom’s latest UK Broadband Speeds report, published in May 2020, found that the average peak time download speeds for rural areas was 38.5Mbps.

Broadband: Standards

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of households were able to access a broadband service delivering (a) a download speed of at least 10 Mbps and (b) an upload speed of at least 1 Mbps, in 2010.

Matt Warman: In 2010, neither the Department nor Ofcom published the data requested. The broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) provides every household with the legal right to request a broadband connection that provides download speeds of at least 10Mbps and an upload speed of at least 1Mbps up to a Reasonable Cost Threshold of £3,400 per premise. However, the legislation underpinning the USO was not passed until 2018.

Broadband: Rural Areas

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what proportion of rural households were able to access a broadband service delivering (a) a download speed of at least 10 Mbps and (b) an upload speed of at least 1 Mbps, in 2010.

Matt Warman: In 2010, neither the Department nor Ofcom published the data requested. The broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) provides every household with the legal right to request a broadband connection that provides download speeds of at least 10Mbps and an upload speed of at least 1Mbps up to a Reasonable Cost Threshold of £3,400 per premise. However, the legislation underpinning the USO was not passed until 2018.

Monuments: Protection

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to protect and promote monuments in the United Kingdom.

Nigel Huddleston: Responsibility for public statues and memorials rests with their owners, with those deemed to be of special architectural or historic interest potentially subject to statutory protection as, or as part of, Listed Buildings. The National Heritage List for England highlights the significance of historically important listed statues and memorials, and is a resource for educating people about all aspects of our complex past, good and bad. In England, Historic England is looking to proactively support such conversations with guidance, research and advice to owners, local authorities and communities.

Football Association Premier League: Broadcasting

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which 5 countries did not air the restart of the Premier League this month.

Nigel Huddleston: We understand from the Premier League that broadcast rights to their matches have been sold around the world, with only five countries not covered as of 17 June - Afghanistan, Cuba, North Korea, the Philippines and Turkmenistan.

Local Broadcasting: Radio

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment his Department made of the sustainability of local commercial radio as a result of the announcement by Bauer to reorganise 50 regional outlets into a national radio network.

Mr John Whittingdale: We have made no such assessment. The local programming and content requirements for holders of local analogue commercial radio licenses are set by Ofcom under the relevant legislative framework – primarily the Broadcasting Act 1990 and the Communications Act 2003. These are matters for Ofcom. In particular, Ofcom is required under section 314 of the Communications Act 2003 to publish and keep under review guidance for commercial radio licensees setting out the detailed local programming requirements that they consider it to be appropriate for local stations to carry. The relevant guidelines were updated by Ofcom in 2018 to give local FM licensees greater flexibility in how and where local stations produce their programmes, while ensuring that listeners’ expectations for high quality local news and other content continue to be met. In drawing up the current guidance, Ofcom took account of the changing patterns of radio and audio listening and the views of radio listeners. The revised guidelines are published on Ofcom's website, and it will be for Bauer to make decisions about how to organise their services while still meeting their regulatory requirements - in particular, the requirements to produce local news and news programming. The Government has long-term plans to legislate to reduce other burdens on commercial radio while maintaining protections for the provision on local news and extending these requirements to digital radio, where there are currently no such protections in place. We consulted on changes in 2017, and will bring forward legislation when Parliamentary time is available.

Social Media: Bullying

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions he has had with representatives of social media platforms on protecting vulnerable people with anxiety caused by online bullying when using social media platforms.

Caroline Dinenage: Ministers and officials have regular meetings with social media platforms on a range of issues, including online bullying and protecting vulnerable people. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the GOV.UK website.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Public Inquiries

Lee Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will publish the (a) statutory and (b) non-statutory public inquiries being undertaken by his Department.

Caroline Dinenage: The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has no statutory or non-statutory public inquiries being undertaken at present.

Twitter: Hate Crime

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what recent discussions his Department has had with representatives of Twitter on moderating hate speech towards people with Down’s Syndrome.

Caroline Dinenage: Ministers and officials have regular meetings and discussions with Twitter on a range of issues, including hate speech. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the GOV.UK website.

Social Media: Bullying and Harassement

Royston Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what plans he has to help ensure that people with Down’s Syndrome are able to use social media platforms without fear of bullying or harassment.

Caroline Dinenage: The government intends to introduce world-leading Online Harms legislation to make the UK the safest place to be online. We intend to establish in law a new duty of care on companies towards their users which will be overseen by an independent regulator. The Government published its Initial Consultation Response to the Online Harms White Paper in February 2020, and this set out our direction of travel on a number of key areas. We are aiming to publish a full government response to the Online Harms White Paper consultation later this year, and this will include more detailed proposals on online harms regulation. In addition to this new legislation, it is important to make sure that the criminal law is fit for purpose to deal with online harms. DCMS and the Ministry of Justice have engaged the Law Commission on a second phase of their review of abusive and offensive online communications. The Law Commission will review existing communications offences and make specific recommendations about options for reform, to ensure that criminal law provides consistent and effective protection against such behaviour.

Armed Conflict: Zimbabwe

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what progress is being made on the repatriation from the UK to Zimbabwe of the remains of (a) Mbuya Nehanda, (b) Sekuru Kaguvi and (c) the 25 First Chimurenga fighters.

Caroline Dinenage: It is not confirmed that the remains of Mbuya Nehanda, Sekuru Kaguve and the 25 First Chimurenga fighters are held in an UK institution. If it was determined that they were in the UK, and a request for their return was received, the decision to do so would be a matter for that institution to consider.

Art Works and Human Remains: Repatriation

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what processes his Department has in place to respond to requests for repatriations of colonial artefacts and human remains from UK museums, universities and other institutions; and what plans the Government has for an audit to be undertaken of such items.

Caroline Dinenage: Decisions relating to museum collections are a matter for the trustees of each museum, who operate independently of the government. This includes the institutions’ responses to requests for repatriation or restitution for colonial artefacts and human remains.The Department is committed to supporting museums in dealing confidently with all aspects of restitution. This includes supporting ongoing work led by Arts Council England on creating new guidance for the museum sector. This will create a comprehensive and practical resource for museums to support them in dealing with all aspects of restitution.

Sports: Offences against Children

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to reduce the incidence of sexual abuse of minors by sports coaches; and if he will make a statement.

Nigel Huddleston: Ensuring that sport is a safe environment for all young people is of paramount importance, and my department works closely with Sport England and the Child Protection in Sport Unit to strengthen provision wherever possible. All organisations in receipt of public funding from Sport England and UK Sport have been required to meet the standards set out in the Code for Sports Governance since April 2017. The Code contains specific obligations around safeguarding, including a requirement for national governing bodies to adhere to the Standards for Safeguarding and Protecting Children in Sport, which are issued by the Child Protection in Sport Unit. We have also taken steps to promote best practice in non-publicly funded sports. A Code of Safeguarding in Martial Arts was launched in March 2018 which sets consistent standards and provides parents with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about where to send their children for instruction. We welcome the Ministry of Justice’s commitment, at a recent hearing of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, to change the law around ‘positions of trust’ in the Sexual Offences Act 2003. We look forward to working closely with the Ministry of Justice to ensure that sports coaches are included as part of these legislative changes.

Travellers

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government on the effect of the Channel 4 documentary entitled, Dispatches: The Truth about Traveller Crime, on relations between traveller and non traveller communities; and if he will make a statement.

Mr John Whittingdale: I have not discussed this matter with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. Like all other broadcasters, Channel 4 is editorially independent from the government, and is subject to independent regulation by Ofcom.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Public Opinion

Judith Cummins: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how much his Department spent on (a) opinion polling and (b) focus groups in each month since January 2019.

Caroline Dinenage: The information requested is not held centrally and therefore can only be provided at disproportionate costs.

Prime Minister

Department for International Development: Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Prime Minister, whether there will be a Cabinet level post with responsibility for international development and a place on the National Security Council after the merger of the Department for International Development with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Boris Johnson: I refer the hon Member to my answer to the Rt Hon Member for South West Surrey during my oral statement on 16 June , Official Report Col 680.